Coping Options for Positive Emotion

Are you a parent of a 7-14 year old child who appears sad, withdrawn, or irritable? Your child may be eligible to participate in Coping Options for Positive Emotion (COPE).

COPE is a treatment research study for child depression funded by the National Institutes of Health. COPE includes therapy that focuses on coping skills. COPE is free of charge and compensation is provided for interviews and parking. COPE is part of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MGH.

Additional information can be found on the Massachusetts General Hospital website http://clinicaltrials.partners.org/trials.aspx?tId=6279 or by phone at 617-643-7821.

Dikla Eckshtain, PhD can also be reached at deckshtain@mgh.harvard.edu.

Study Participants wanted

Are you a healthy female between 10-21 years old? Interested in the relationship between the brain, hormones and appetite? You could be eligible to participate in an MRI study investigating that very relationship.

This MGH study includes one screening visit to confirm eligibility and three morning visits which will include a meal, questionnaires, blood draws and two MRI scans. Visits are spread over 18 months. In order to be eligible, participants must be willing to not take oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

If you are eligible, you can receive up to $550 for completing the study. Local transportation and parking costs will be reimbursed. Fill out the survey here: https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=vXBQ2peXoD or contact anebrainstudy@partners.org for more information.

Newton CPC Agenda and New Proposal Hearings

All items on the Newton Community Preservation Committee’s agenda for October 6th at 7:00 pm are committee business, including reviews of online reports and updating proposal instructions. New proposals received in the Fy17 annual funding round will be distributed but will not be discussed at this meeting. Public hearings on these proposals will be held on November 3rd and, if needed to accommodate additional proposals, on November 17th.

For additional information, see www.newtonma.gov/cpa or contact Program Manager Alice Ingerson at 617-796-1144 or aingerson@newtonma.gov.

Newton City Hall, Room 204

Newton Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Program Seeking Volunteers

Do you believe that all children have the right to be “Safe, Strong and Free”? Join a dynamic task force of trained volunteer CAP Prevention Specialists committed to teaching children in the Newton Elementary Schools the skills that they would need to stand up for themselves if faced with verbal, physical or sexual assault.

Now accepting applications for the 2016-2017 schoolyear. CORI and SORI screenings required. For more information please visit the website at http://familyaccess.org/family-support/child- assault-prevention/ or email Gail Sommer gsommer@familyaccess.org

Multi-session training begins on October 15th
Application deadline is October 7th

19 Continuing Education Credits available for licensed MSW’s

Making Connections: Ways to Engage as We Age in Newton

Join Newton’s Health and Human Services Department at the West Suburban YMCA for a FREE OPEN HOUSE filled with classes, programs, and activities geared towards older adults in Newton! Workshops will be offered throughout the course of the day.

Refreshments will be served, a raffle with prizes will be held, and a swing band will perform. Transportation is available.

If you know a friend, neighbor, family or community member who may benefit from this experience, please help spread the word and share the details of this event! For more information, please call 617-796-1660.

October 19th, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm
West Suburban YMCA

Chemistry Tutoring with “The Chem Coach”

Need a tutor so your student gets off to a good start with chemistry and stays on track throughout the year? The Chem Coach is for you.

The Chem Coach is passionate about chemistry and wants students to like learning science!  Her daughters graduated from the Newton Public School System, so she know the schools. For more inflrmation, please contact Jean Lindsay-Dwyer, at 617-584-8885 or TheChemCoach@gmail.com.

Public Speaking Class for Kids

On Tuesdays after school in November, Newton Community Education will be hosting a public speaking class for students Grades 6-8 at the Newton South High School. This is the perfect class for kids that are trying public speaking for the first time. We play a lot of fun games and activities that create a low-pressure environment.

The registration fee is $85 for 4 classes. Register at: https://registration.xenegrade.com/nce/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=8645

Still space in Adult Knitting Class

Would you like to learn to knit? Do you know the basics but are ready to move beyond a scarf? Or have you finished a couple of projects and are ready to learn some new techniques and become more confident?

Register now for an adults-only knitting class taught by an experienced teacher. In this class, beginners will develop a strong foundation of skills so that they can continue knitting many different types of projects. You’ll learn how to: cast on, knit, purl, create a border, read a pattern, identify and fix common mistakes, and bind off. More experienced knitters can expand their skills to cables, lace, chart reading, and/or socks.

To register, email the instructor. Payment information, address, and a list of materials needed for the first class will be sent promptly. Click to learn more: Knitting Class

Tuesday evenings beginning September 27th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm OR
Wednesday mornings beginning September 28th, 10:00 am – noon

Cost: $75 for a 5-class Flex Pass (attend when your schedule permits)
Location: Instructor’s home in Newton Centre

Community Forum on High School Start Time-October 19th

Dear Families,

Last year, I shared information with you about the important work Newton is doing to examine the impact of high school start times on students. Since Newton began its work, several other districts across the state have begun to investigate whether a change in high school start time is right for their district. The growing interest in high school start time is a reflection of the compelling research demonstrating the unique sleep cycles of adolescents and the potential consequences of sleep deficit.

A working group spent the 2015-16 school year reviewing sleep research, investigating processes in other districts, and gathering survey feedback from Newton students, faculty, and families. Regular updates were provided to the School Committee, posted to the district website, and distributed via email. A final report with survey results and analysis was issued in June 2016. Click here for the full report End of Year Report.

From the research and feedback, the High School Start Time Working Group has created six potential “scenarios” for consideration. These scenarios move the high school start time later. Some impact only the high schools while others impact all schools in the district. These scenarios were presented to the School Committee on Monday, September 19, 2016 and can be viewed here.

The next step is for you, the NPS community, to provide your feedback on the potential changes to the start times. As a district, we want to hear your thoughts on the benefits, costs, and implications of any changes, as well as your feedback on the value of undertaking this effort. We have scheduled a community forum for Wednesday, October 19th at 7 p.m. at Angier (1697 Beacon St.) at which the Working Group will share information and listen to your feedback. We hope you will attend. We will also share information through PTO meetings this fall, as well as through school newsletters. To share you feedback directly with the Working Group, please send an email to: laterstart@newton.k12.ma.us. For more information visit the district website at www.newton.k12.ma.us/page/2553.

I look forward to hearing your feedback this fall as we consider whether a later high school start time is right for the Newton Public Schools.

Sincerely,

David A. Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools